Samurai
by Tetsuwan Penguin
Summary: Astro, Dr. O'Shay, Black Jack, and a few other passengers on a bus find themselves inside of a strange temple during a storm at night. Angry demon gods send them to another reality where they become part of Japan's ancient history. This story was suggested to me by artwork from a mobile game, and the 'Dororo' and 'Spirited Away' animes. Originally posted on the ABOL forum.
1. Chapter 1

**Samurai**

* * *

 _There was a post on the Astro Boy online forum about a mobile game app that someone had found. There were various images of the game linked to the post. Someone suggested that maybe I could create a fan fiction story based on the image of Astro dressed in the Samurai armor, holding a sword. Needless to say my imagination was able to_ _conjure up a tale based on that artwork. I've also combined some ideas borrowed from 'Dororo' and 'Spirited Away', and this is the result. This story was originally posted in the ABOL forum._

* * *

 _ **ONE**_

 **Astro** and Dr. O'Shay sat near the middle of the small bus that was crawling over the winding road though the forest. It was a dark and rainy night with the only illumination being provided by the bus's headlamps and an occasional blinding flash of lightning. The conveyance was nearly empty, with only four other passengers. Atom looked around, studying the other occupants who were along for the ride with him.

Seated just behind the driver was a beautiful young woman with short dark curly hair and deep blue eyes. She was wearing a wide brimmed hat with colorful ruffles on the top which matched her outfit. Astro thought she was dressed for a party, he also found it hard to take his eyes off of her.

In the row behind Astro and the Doctor sat a tall man wearing a dark coat with a cape. His hair was partly white and partly black, and he had a long surgical scar running down the left side of his face, the skin of which was two toned. Sitting next to him was a young girl, who Astro took to be about the same age that his sister Uran looked to be. She was wearing a short red dress and had four pink bows in her brown hair. She also had beautiful brown eyes. Every time a bolt of lightning flashed between the clouds releasing a loud clap of thunder, the girl would move closer to the man for comfort.

All the way in the back of the bus was a character that gave Astro the creeps. He had a patch over his left eye, and his long uncombed hair was pure white. He was also dressed in a dark coat, and seemed content to be sitting all by himself.

* * *

 **"How much further?"** , the young woman asked the driver as she leaned over the seat in front of her.

"Maybe another hour until we reach the edge of this forest," the driver replied, "and perhaps another past that."

"Not soon enough!," she shivered, "this rain is giving me the creeps. I've never been this way before, just what road is this?"

"It's a shortcut," the driver explained, "The locals refer to this as the old temple road because it passes by many old abandoned shrines and temples, many of which were built in the old times when the Samurai and the Shogun ruled the country. You can't go as fast on this two lane road as on the highway, but it does shave a few hundred klicks off of the route. If I'd known about the rain in the forecast though, I'd probably had stayed on the main highway."

 **Suddenly** a large lightning bolt struck the ground a few yards in front of the bus. The driver quickly slammed on the brakes as a large tree fell in front of them, blocking the roadway. He put the vehicle in reverse, and tried to maneuver around the fallen tree, but his front right tire sunk into a soft spot in the road and the front of the bus sunk downwards. The driver got out of his seat to look outside the bus. He examined the front of the vehicle and his face turned sour.

He reentered the bus and turned to face his passengers. "Looks like we're stuck here for the time being," he said. "The front axle seems to have broken when we ran off the road. I've radioed ahead to my dispatcher, and they will have a tow truck here by the morning. I know exactly where we are, and there is a temple just a few hundred yards off the road where we can spend the night and be out of the rain. If you'll all follow me, I'll guide the way. Do watch your steps though, the ground might be a bit uneven outside."

Astro looked at Dr. O'Shay, "I could probably lift the bus and fly us all out of here."

The Doctor smiled at Astro. "True, but I'm not sure how the passengers would handle that."

"I guess so." Astro sighed, "Humans do get airsick flying in rough weather."

* * *

 **The** six passengers exited the bus and followed the driver across a rocky trail which lead to a cobble stone path leading uphill. Another flash of lightning lit up the sky and revealed the outline of an old building in the distance. It appeared to be a large abandoned temple where monks once lived. The driver tried the door, but it seemed to be jammed shut tightly.

"Let me give it a try," Astro asked. He grabbed the door handle and pulled on it hard. The door creaked on its rusty hinges and slowly opened outwards. The bus driver's flashlight cast eerie shadows in the gloom of the old temple. Astro switched on his eyes searchlights to give more light.

The small front room of the building led into a larger second room that appeared to have served as the bedroom for a clan of perhaps two dozen monks. The beds were still in place in the room, and perhaps half of them still had usable mattresses on them comfortable enough to sleep on. Another chamber had a long table with the remains of many chairs, this was obviously the dining area where the monks would partake of their meals.

 **From** deeper in the building, came a shriek of terror. The tall man with the scar ran in the direction of the sound where he found his young companion shivering in fear.

"What is it Pinoko?" the man asked.

"Ghosts! I think." she said. "Sensei, I'm scared!"

Astro ran towards them his eyes still sending out beams of light. He was followed by Doctor O'Shay and the bus driver. "Look!" Pinoko pointed.

This inner chamber was filled with gruesome statues that appeared to be the work of devils. Their frightening looking forms were carved in hideous poses, they appeared to be performing acts of human sacrifice to the demons.

"This must be the demon temple," the bus driver gasped. "I knew it existed, but I've never actually heard of anyone who ever saw it. This place belonged to a dark sect of monks that worshiped the evil beasts of the underworld. It is said that one of the early Shogun's actually prayed to these demon idols to give them his unborn son for their blessings. This Shogun ruthlessly ruled most of Japan before being defeated by an unknown hero."

"Maybe we shouldn't spend the night here...," Pinoko sobbed.

There was another even louder clap of thunder and the sound of the rain on the roof of the building became even louder as the wind suddenly picked up in speed.

"I don't think we have much of a choice," Black Jack replied. "But let's keep out of this part of the building, for our sanity's sake!"

* * *

 **Dr. Kiriko** pulled a flashlight from his pocket and slowly walked around the 'demon chamber'. His torch revealed the true size of the room as he shined his light on a long row of statues. "Kurō, come take a look at this," he called to Black Jack.

Black Jack followed the 'death doctor' towards the rear of the chamber and saw what the white haired man had discovered. There along the wall was a line of idols fitted with huge precious stones for eyes. Diamonds, Rubies, Star Sapphires, and Emeralds, each of them being at least a hundred carrots or more in size.

"A man could walk out of here quite rich with only a few of those gems," Kiriko laughed.

"I wouldn't touch them," Black Jack replied.

"You think they are cursed?" the white haired doctor laughed.

"Perhaps," Kurō said, shrugging his shoulders, "they've been here untouched for centuries, that in itself speaks of their sanctity."

"Perhaps," Kiriko replied, as he scanned the beam of his torch further along the wall. The light now fell upon an idol having several dozen arms. Each of its many hands held a katana in a golden scabbard with a leather belt attached. Kiriko carefully removed on of these from the idol's hand and examined it.

"The workmanship on this is incredible," he replied as he slowly pulled the sword from the scabbard and held the blade pointing upwards. Kiriko carefully ran the tip of his left thumb across the blade to feel its sharpness and almost drew blood. He pulled a hair from his head and pushed the root of it against the blade, neatly cleaving the hair in half, lengthwise.

"Amazing!" he smiled as he replaced the katana back into its sheath. He carefully wrapped the leather belt around his waist and admired how well the sword balanced against his body.

"I'd put that back if I were you," Black Jack warned him.

By this time Astro, Sapphire, and Dr. O'Shay had gathered to see what their companions were looking at. "What is this place?" Astro asked.

"This appears to be the heart of the temple," Dr. O'Shay replied. "This isn't a healthy place, it is a place of demon worship." The doctor looked down at the floor and scuffed his foot along the hard stone surface, kicking up a cloud of dust. "I don't think anyone has been in here for centuries, just look how thick this dust is!"

Sapphire looked around the room and suddenly shivered, "Let's get out of here, this place gives me the creeps!" she gasped.

"Me too!" Pinoko said, tugging on Black Jack's trouser leg to get him moving towards the chamber exit.

* * *

 **Suddenly** the eyes of the idols began to glow. Red, Green, Blue and White rays of light emanated from the Rubies, Emeralds, Star Sapphires and Diamonds that were set into the heads of the statues. A humming sound filled the room, and it rapidly rose in volume and pitch, drilling into the ears of the everyone present. Dr. O'Shay, Kirko, Black Jack, Sapphire, and Pinoko clamped their hands over their ears for protection, but to no avail. Even Astro felt the pain and he too began to pass out. The room grew dark and the sound faded.

The bus driver had been exploring elsewhere in the temple, looking for clean water to drink. He heard the screaming of the others and ran in the direction of the sound. He found the demon room and scanned his flashlight around, its beam bounced off of the demon idol statues and he saw the evil grins on their faces. The room was otherwise empty, but in the dust on the floor he could see the outlines of six bodies that had mysteriously disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Samurai**

 _ **Two**_

 **The old man** with the large nose and balding head sat with his legs folded under him as he repeatedly bent down in prayer in front of the altar. The bronzed image of the Buddha on the raised platform seemed to talk to the priest, who finally got back on his feet and adjusted his violet robes so they fell straight on his rotund frame. He held the prayer scroll in his right hand, and carefully rolled it back up and placed it into the pocket of his robe.

There was a commotion at the door to the temple, and the man made his way as quickly as possible in response to the heavy pounding on the thick wooden door's bronze knockers. The priest lifted a latch on the door and pulled on the ringed handle to open it. The heavy door rolled backwards easily on its well oiled hinges to reveal the figure standing in front of it.

 **The war lord** stood there with a defiant scowl on his face. His left eye was covered by a leather patch held in place by a thin strap of the same material that was tied in back of his head. His long gray hair fluttered behind him in the breeze. He wore a cloak of green armor topped with a purple top coat and had a jewel encrusted stuffed serpent wrapped around his neck. Hanging from a scabbard on his right side was a long katana, the sword of the Samurai and the noble elite.

"Where is she!" the war lord demanded.

"I don't know who you are talking about, Kiriko!" the priest softly replied.

"I know she's been here old man," the visitor growled, "I can see the tracts of her horse leading here, and they are fresh."

"The person whom you seek doesn't own the only horse in this country, you and your soldiers have mounts as well," the priest replied.

"Yes but I know her tracks by the unique impressions made by the shoes on her steed," Kiriko smiled, "the smith who shod her stallion used an extra nail."

The war lord gave a hand signal and the four men behind him dismounted from their horses and marched toward the temple door. "You will search this place for that woman!" he ordered, taking a step toward the priest, "and if my men find where you have been hiding her I will kill both her and you on the spot!"

* * *

 **The peasant farmer** opened the door to his hut to find that his young son had been successful in his quest to find a healer.

"I came as quickly as I could," the man in the doorway said, "I only hope that I'm not too late."

The healer was a tall man dressed in a green robe with yellow trim on its sleeves and openings, tied shut with a wide orange sash. He also wore a dark blue cape with an orange and yellow collar. His hair was half white and half black, and he had a fearsome looking scar dividing his face diagonally in half, the left side being darker than the right.

Lying on a bed in the middle of the room, the farmers wife moaned in pain. Sweat was dripping from her skin as she shivered from the fever that had gripped her for the past few days. Her son ran from the door to his mother's side and squeezed her hand.

"It's OK now mom, I've brought the healer!" He said, trying to comfort his mother.

The healer walked quickly towards the woman and turned to the boy. "Please boil some water, and bring me whatever clean cloth you have, and hurry," he whispered to the lad.

The boy ran off on his errand while the healer examined his mother. The farmer stood back observing as the man attended to his wife. He smiled at her, trying to reassure her that all would soon be right. The healer gently probed the woman's body with his finger tips, carefully examining her lower abdomen.

"I'm going to have to cut her open," he told the farmer, "I will need to sterilize my tools."

He removed a roll of cloth from under his robe and unwound the cloth. From inside of this he removed several knife like implements which he carried over to the fire, and then he and carefully held the sharp blades over the fire. The boy had now returned with several large wads of clean cotton cloth, which the healer inspected and nodded with his approval. He wrapped his tools in a piece of one of these cloths and carried it over to where the woman lay.

"What are you going to do, Sensei?" the boy asked.

"You mother has a sort of wound inside of her which must be removed or she will die," he explained. "I will now make a small opening in her lower abdomen and repair the damage. First, I must prevent her from feeling any pain,"

The healer reached inside his robe and withdrew a vial containing a dark fluid. He tore off a piece of the cotton cloth and poured a quantity of this liquid onto it and then held the cotton over the woman's mouth and nose.

"This is a spirit of ether, breathing it's vapors will render your mother insensitive to my blade, and she will feel no pain," he explained.

The healer worked quickly, he made a small incision through the woman's abdominal wall and then removed her appendix, sewing the wall of the colon tightly with gut and a curved needle. He then cleaned the wound with some of the cloth that had been soaking in the boiling water. After closing the external wound with more stitches of gut, he bandaged the area with clean cloth wrapped around her body.

"If you don't mind, I will now rest myself," the healer said, "It's been a long journey for me, and the surgery has worn me out."

* * *

 **Astro** woke up when he felt the animal's breath on his face and its wet tongue on his cheek. His eyes slowly came to focus on the white stallion that was nodding its head in approval at him.

He slowly got to his feet and looked down upon himself. He was dressed in a green robe with brass bands on the ends of its sleeves, over which he had on an armored vest made of leather and bronze. His red boots now sported the images of dragons, inlaid into the leather and cast in bright bronze. He had a flowing red cape attached around his neck that reached down to his knees. Attached to his waist was a leather and bronze scabbard containing a long katana sword. Astro slowly pulled the blade from its sheath to examine it, the katana glowed with a faint blue light as he waved it in the air.

He replaced the sword in the scabbard, and as he took stock of himself, wondering just where he was and how he had gotten here, the horse gently nuzzled him and whinnied. The steed bowed low, bending its forelegs as if to demand that Astro mount him.

"I'm guessing you want my help for something?" he laughed, "I sure wish I had Uran's ability to understand animals!"

Astro carefully placed his left leg in the stirrup and hoisted himself up into the saddle that the animal wore. Before he could grab hold of the reins the horse was already bounding ahead in a full gallop.

"OK, I guess you'll lead the way!" Astro laughed.

* * *

 **The horse** bounded over the hilly country side giving Astro a wild ride, as he held on tight to the stallion's mane to stay in the saddle. The animal slowed its pace as they came to a brook that fed a mill pound. The horse stopped by the flowing water and knelled down allowing Astro to dismount. The two of them drank from the cold water of the pond for several minutes to refresh themselves.

Astro's sharp ears picked up the sound of a whimper coming from within the building of the mill. He slowly crept up to the door and pushed it open, its rusty hinges creaked and moaned as the door swung open. It was dark inside the building which had few windows, so Astro illuminated his eye searchlights and scanned the inside. Lying in a dark corner was a young girl who looked about Uran's size. She was dressed as a princess in a brightly colored dress. She had four pink bows tied into her hair, as well as a flowered head piece held onto the top of her head by hairpins.

As the light from Astro's eyes fell upon the girl she squinted and rubbed her eyes.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"Pinoko?" Astro asked.

"Who?" the girl moaned. "Is that my name? I don't remember."

"I think you'd better come with me, Pinoko," Astro said. "Come, get a drink from the stream, it will make you feel better."

Astro led Pinoko from the dark interior of the mill and towards the flowing water where the horse was waiting. He bent down and cupped his hands, bringing a mouthful of the cold water to the girl's lips. Pinoko drank and the color slowly returned to her face. "I was thirsty!" she said as she bent down to get some more water for herself.

Once again the white horse bent down to allow Astro to mount. He picked up Pinoko and sat her in the saddle in back of him. "Hold on tight to my belt!" Astro told her. This time the stallion picked up its pace more slowly, and was careful to keep to an even gait as it continued along the route that intended to travel.

* * *

 **Sapphire** shivered in the cold water at the bottom of the well. The warlord Kiriko had been trailing her for several hours when she came upon the temple of the Buddha. The kindly old priest had offered to hid her but she knew if she was found out that the evil Samurai would have the priest and all of the monks killed in revenge. She spotted the well behind the monastery just as she had noticed the dust cloud in the distance that was being kicked up by the hooves of the army's horses that were hot on her trail. She thought quickly, and removed her clothing, stuffing them into the saddle bags on her horse. She pulled a long hollow bamboo reed from the nearby field of grass to use as a snorkel tube. Then she whispered a plea into the horse's ear and slapped him on his rump to get him to gallop off out of sight, and she then lowered herself into the well to hid.

Soon the sounds of the approaching army's horses were plain to her ears and she could hear the pounding of fists against the door of the temple. When the back door of the temple crashed open, Sapphire put the reed into her mouth and ducked below the surface of the water, she inhaled and exhaled though the bamboo tube as Kiriko looked down into the well searching for her.

Just when she thought that she could no longer stand the cold, the well bucket came crashing down on her and she heard the priest's kind voice.

"They're gone now, you can climb out of the well."

Sapphire tugged on the rope and found that the end was anchored fast to the top of the well. She pulled herself up and climbed out to find several large soft towels sitting folded on the stone wall around the well. Sapphire dried herself and wrapped a large towel around herself. The priest was standing there with his back facing her.

"You can turn around now, old man. I'm decent now," She laughed.

The rotund priest turned to face her. "I have some other clothing for you inside the temple. Man's clothing of course, but perhaps a bit of a disguise might be a good thing at the moment?"

"I can't thank you enough," she sobbed, giving the priest a hug, and a peck on the cheek.

The priest handed her some items of clothing he'd found. A simple monk's robe to keep her warm, but also a green armored vest and cape, plus two green leather boots. "Those last items were left here by a young Samurai who died of his wounds defending this place," the priest sighed. "I washed most of the blood stains off of it, it looks like it might fit you."

She held the armored outfit up in front of her, "Yes, I think it will do perfectly!" she replied.

"You look hungry, can I get you something to eat?", the priest asked.

"Yes, thank you!" Sapphire exclaimed.

The old man led her into the dinning room and motioned for her to take a seat at the head of the long table. "This is where the monks have their meals. Right now they are all out somewhere meditating, but they will return soon for the evening meal. Wait here and I'll check and see what is cooking in the kitchen."

Sapphire sat down and lay her head on the table with her arms crossed under it. She closed her eyes briefly, but soon heard the footsteps of the old man returning.

"If you're still awake I have some tea with rice for you," he said softly, handing her a bowl and a pair of chopsticks.

"Arigatō," Sapphire replied accepting the bowl, which she lifted to her mouth and quickly ate.

"My you were very hungry!" the priest remarked, I can get you some more if you'd like."

"No, I feel much better now," she replied.

* * *

 **The white stallion** slowed its pace. In the distance Astro could see an old temple building, a shrine to the Buhdda. The horse stopped in front of the build and whinnied loudly. Astro dismounted from the saddle and then reached up to help Pinoko get down from the animal's back. The two of them slowly walked to the door of the building, Astro lifted the large bronze knocker announced their presence at the door.

Sapphire heard the horse's whinny and her face lite up. She ran towards the door, followed by the priest who blocked her way. "Perhaps it might be better if I saw who might be paying us a visit, just in case. Why don't you wait in the dinning area?"

Sapphire nodded in agreement and remained out of sight from the door, which the old man slowly opened. He smiled when he saw Astro and Pinoko, realizing that they were no threat.

"Dr. O'Shay?" Astro asked.

"Who?" The priest asked. "My name is Ochanomizu, I'm the leader of this Monastery. What can I do for you?"

"Pinoko and I were led here by a horse," Astro replied, "for some reason, I think he wanted us to be here."

Sapphire ran out from where she had been hiding to see who her stallion had brought. "That was my horse that brought you here," she replied. "I was being pursued by the evil war lord, Kiriko, and I asked him to bring me back help."

Astro looked into Sapphire's face and he was smitten by her beauty. "I don't know how I got here in this strange land, or why everyone I know seems to have lost their memory except for me, but I am at your service," he said bowing and taking her hand in his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Samurai**

 ** _Three_**

 **The farmer** offered the healer a bowl of rice and some green tea. "I'm sorry I can't offer you a better meal," he said, "but food is rather scarce here, I can barely raise enough crops to feed my family and myself."

The healer accepted the meal gracefully. "Arigatō," he said bowing his head.

"I am in your debt for saving my wife," the farmer replied, "She suddenly became ill in great pain and seemed near death, it's only been a few hours since you treated her and her fever is gone and color has returned to her face. You must be a magician. I don't even know your name."

"No, nothing like like," the healer replied. "My name is Kurō. I'm not sure where I come from, I'm having a hard time remembering my distant past. I know I've been walking through the country side for some time treating people in each of the villages I've passed though, but nobody has yet asked me who I am. I also seem to remember having companions that are now lost from me."

"My wife, what was wrong with her?" the farmer asked, "Will she recover?"

"Your wife had acute appendicitis," Kurō replied. "That's a condition when part of the intestines becomes infected, if the affected tissue isn't removed the infection may cause the organ to swell and burst which will spread the poisons resulting in death. It can be cured by removing the swollen bud. It is a simple procedure, but I can't remember how I learned to do it."

"You seem to be rather good at it," the farmer replied, "Must you be going?"

"I'm afraid so," the healer replied, "I must find my companions."

"The village could really use your help," the farmer sighed. "Ever since the warlord Kiriko took power in this area we have suffered. He appeased the evil spirits to gain power over the other Shogun. These demons now haunt the land. Nothing much will grow and there is little to eat. The priests have foretold that a stranger will come into the land and will defeat these demons and banish Kiriko from power. Until that day, we suffer."

"Did you say Kiriko?" Kurō asked. "I know that name, only the man who I know who goes by that moniker isn't an evil war lord, he's actually a kind man in his own brutal way."

"How is that?" the farmer asked.

"The Kiriko I know helps those who are suffering leave this world in a gentle death," Kurō explained. "I disagree with him, for I see all life as precious, but I can understand someone who is in great pain that cannot be relieved wanting to end it all gently."

"That is not the Kiriko we know," the farmer huffed. "The war lord Kiriko is a brutal murderer who delights in pain. His death cannot come soon enough."

* * *

 **Sapphire** retrieved the clothes that she had hidden in her saddle bag. The priest looked at her soiled outfit and said, "I'll have the monks wash those for you, if you'd like."

"Arigatō," she said, handing the old man her pink skirt and blouse.

The priest took them and walked off towards the monk's quarters, he returned a few minutes later. "You'll have them back this evening some time after dinner," he told her.

* * *

 **A few** hours later the three visitors to the monastery were seated near the head of the long dinning room table next to the old priest. The two dozen monks who lived in on the temple grounds took their places at the table and bowed their heads in prayer before the meal. The two monks that served duty in the kitchen set the dinnerware at the table, plain wooden bowls and cups, pewter spoons, and bamboo chopsticks. The evenings repast, a thin stew with mutton was then served from a large cauldron like pot, while a strong tea was poured from a large pewter teapot. Several loaves of a dark brown bread on wooden cutting boards were also delivered to the table.

The monks ate their meal in silence, and the three guests followed their example. The kitchen servants then collected the empty dinnerware, and the monks silently marched out of the dinning room for their evening prayer and meditation. The old priest remained behind with his guests.

 **Astro** turned his head about and looked at the faces of the three persons seated about him. "Doesn't anybody remember who they are?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" the priest replied.

"All of us were on a bus when it broke down in the middle of a forest," he said. "We took shelter from the rain in a temple where we all were rendered unconscious and we are now here in this time and place."

"Now that is a strange tale," the priest laughed. "I've lived in this land all my life, I can't remember not being either a priest or a member of the temple."

Sapphire looked at Astro and replied, "I am a princess from a neighboring country," she explained, "I was abducted by the evil Kiriko who wanted me to become his bride. When I refused, he imprisoned me and sentenced me to die. I managed to escape with the help of one of Kiriko's servants who felt sorry for me and betrayed his ruler. Ever since then I've been on the run, leading a rebellion against the warlord."

Pinoko sobbed, "My memory is a bit hazy. I remember that my father is a rich merchant and that we were kidnapped by Samurai loyal to Kiriko. They drugged us, but somehow I escaped and hid out in the old mill where I spent the night. When I awoke I no longer remembered my name, only vague details, which are slowly coming back to me. I guess you can call me Pinoko if you like, it's a pretty name."

"That isn't right!" Astro replied, pointing to the priest. "Your name is Dr. O'Shay, you are the head of the ministry of science!"  
Astro then pointed to Sapphire, "You were on the bus with us, I don't know who you are, but I don't think that you're a princess.  
Pinoko, you're Dr. Black Jack's assistant, you think you are his wife. Both Dr. Black Jack and Dr. Kiriko were on the bus, and were in the temple as well, but they are now missing."

""That is quite a story," the old priest replied, "Are you sure you are feeling well?" he asked.

"Why doesn't anyone believe me?" Astro sobbed. "I guess that whatever brought us all here and took your memories probably couldn't have taken mine, because I'm a robot!"

"I'm not sure I know what a robot is," The old priest said, "Is that a clan of Samurai that I haven't heard of yet?"

* * *

 **Kurō** was awakened by the sound of horses galloping all around him. The farmer peeked though a knothole in the wall and his face became white with fear.

"It's Kiriko's men," he gasped. "The last time they were here they took my best milk cow, now I have nothing left to give them. They'll kill us all for sure!"

The healer got up and walked towards the doorway. "Shut the door behind me and keep quiet," he said as he walked outside to face the mounted Samurai.

Upon seeing the tall man with the scar on his face standing alone in the middle of the path leading towards the farmhouse, the horsemen reined they mounts to a halt and surrounded him.

"There is nothing here for you," Kurō told them in a calm voice. "You should leave and find what you want elsewhere."

"Really, now!" one of the horsemen laughed. "What kind of fool are you to tell Kiriko's Samurai where to ask for tribute!"

The healer held his ground, as he slowly loosened the belt around his robe. Each of the horsemen now had their scabbards in a position from which they could quickly access their Katana's. Several seconds passed as Kurō glared at the Samurai without blinking. Suddenly, his hands quickly moved beneath his robe. Before any of the Samurai could unsheath their Katana's the healer produced a dozen scalpels from a pocket inside of his robe and threw the razor sharp weapons in rapid succession at the horsemen. Each blade pierced a vital area and all of the men lay on the ground bleeding to death!

From his hidden station at the knothole the farmer saw the one sided battle and gasped at the fighting skill of the healer. He emerged from the hut as Kurō removed the last of the Katana scabbards from the bodies lying on the ground. Two of these he strapped around his waist, the remaining four he handed to the farmer. "These swords should fetch many yen at the market," he said. "Keep them."

"You are a Samurai!" the farmer stammered, "No common healer could kill so efficiently!"

"A healer also knows where the vital areas are," Kurō replied. "My healer's tools can save lives, but they can also take them. Self defense is a skill I had to learn to stay alive, it's a rough world out there."

"What of Kiriko's men?" the farmer asked.

"We will burn their bodies and clothes and then scatter the ashes. Perhaps you can find a use for their horses, I will ride away on one of them." Kurō replied.

* * *

 **The** sky began to darken and the monks proceeded to light candles throughout the temple. The priest directed his guests toward the bed chambers. He found each of them a room for themselves with a futon and some blankets. He then handed a lantern containing a candle to each of his three guests. "It isn't safe around here in the dark," he warned them. "These lanterns each contain a slow burning candle that will last the night. They don't give much light but they will keep you safe. Keep the lantern by your side at all times during the night."

Sapphire and Pinoko accepted the priests words without question, however Astro was skeptical. "What is there to fear in the dark?" he asked.

"Demons." The priest replied.

"You're kidding!" Astro laughed.

"I am deadly serious," The priest replied. "The evil Kiriko obtained his power by bribing the demons with the blood of his own yet unborn son. Ever since he has come into power the devil's children roam the countryside at night, causing sickness, famine, and destruction. Even within the wall of this temple we are not fully safe from them in the dark."

Astro accepted the lantern from the priest and set it next to his bed as he retired for the night. He thought his ears were tricking him as he thought he heard ghostly screams carried by the wind throughout the night.

* * *

 **Kurō** followed the road leading away from the village. His horse trodded along the old road leading though the countryside, the sounds of its hooves, the hooting of the occasional owl, the chirping of the crickets, and the rustle of the wind though the leaves in the trees helped keep him awake. The farmer had warned him against traveling at night, at but Kurō was used to this. Still, he was now in the land ruled by the evil Kiriko, and not the more familiar territory that he was used to. The pair of Katana hanging from his belt gave him some comfort as the long shadows cast by the light of the moon gave the landscape and eerie appearance.

Kurō kicked the horse in its ribs with his heels and the animal picked up its pace. He could now see an old building in the distance, as he approached it, he recognized it as a Buddhist monastery. Here he knew he would find shelter and food for the night. He urged the horse to gallop faster and soon found himself at the door of the temple.

Kurō lifted the heavy knocker on the door and announced his presence. The old priest heard the pounding on the door and he tightened the belt on his robe and rose to see who was outside the temple looking for shelter.

"You shouldn't be outside at night in these parts," the priest told Kurō, "You might have come upon one of the many demon monsters that roam the countryside at night."

"I don't believe in such nonsense," Kurō replied, "I'm more afraid of Kiriko's rouge Samurai, they are real flesh and blood."

"In either case, you are very lucky to have found the shelter of this monastery," the old man told him, as he barred the door. "I can offer you some warm tea and some bread if you you're hungry."

"Arigatō," Kurō replied, as the priest led him to the dining room and fetched a pot of warm tea and a loaf of brown bread from the kitchen.

"When you've had your fill you will find an empty room with a futon at the end of this hallway," the priest replied. He then set a small lantern with a candle burning inside of a paper wind screen on the table. "Keep this with you, it will guard you from the evil spirits that have been known to invade darkened places."

"I'm not afraid of the dark," Kurō replied, "but I will accept this anyway."

The priest muttered a few prayer words and headed back to his room after wishing Kurō a good nights sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Samurai**

 _ **Four**_

 **Pinoko** was having a hard time falling asleep. She constantly tossed and turned in her sleep, waking up numerous times to the creepy sound of a low moan, like someone crying out in pain. The moon rose above the horizon and cast its light though the window of her room, displaying the shadow of a dead tree just beyond the building. The wind blew the branches of the tree about, and the resulting movement of the shadow looked like a monster waving its arms at her.

A gust of wind shook the window, and it blew open blowing out the candle in her lantern. Pinoko sat up in bed in fear, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself. The shadows again played upon the walls and she screamed in terror.

Suddenly the door to her room was flung open as Astro and Dr. Black Jack burst into the room, followed by Sapphire. Astro's right hand gripped the handle of his Katana as he held the blade out in front of him. The doctor was wearing the scabbards of his daishō on a belt around his waist, the grips of both Katana in easy reach. Sapphire was armed with a Wakizashi, the shorter of the two swords worn by the Samurai.

Except for the light of the sliver of moon shining in from behind the clouds the room was dark. In the gloom Astro's keen eyes could see the creature that now gripped the small girl with its hairy arm wrapped around her head, covering her nose and mouth.

"Drop her!" Astro yelled at the demon, as he crept forward holding the Katana over his shoulder in a position ready to attack. Sapphire and Kurō advanced forward as well, the doctor now had his right hand on the grip of his Katana, ready to pull it from its koshirae.

The standoff lasted a few instants longer, then suddenly the creature ran past them and bolted out of the bedroom door. Astro took off like a shot to follow the demon which seemed to pass through the wall of the temple. Astro quickly unbarred the door and ran outside to find himself confronting several of the foul creatures, who formed a circle around him. His first instinct was to take the advantage of attacking them from above, but he could not command his jets to function. Panic momentarily rolled over Astro as he realized that he had lost the ability to fly. The creatures moved closer, their fear of him vaporizing as they now believed his powers were gone. Beads of sweat rolled down Astro's face, and he gripped the hilt of the katana tightly. The first of the monsters lunged at him and Atom swung the sword, easily slicing the demon in half. He breathed a sigh of relief to find that while he might have lost the power of flight, he still had the might of 100,000 horses in his arms!

Two demons tried to sneak up behind Astro, but both were cut down in a single motion as Kurō attacked with his twin Katana simultaneously. Sapphire dueled it out with the remaining demon who was armed with a long dagger. She appeared to be handling he own quite well, as the monster slowly was forced to give ground, as it backed up towards the dead tree whose shadows had frightened Pinoko. With its back against the dead oak, the creature snarled at Sapphire who lunged forward and cut down her adversary with a quick thrust of her sword.

The three heroes looked about them. There remained no sign of the fight, as the bodies of the demons had evaporated as soon as they were cut down. The wind died down, and the clouds departed. The only sound left was the gentle chirping of the crickets.

"Let's get back to bed," Sapphire said as she replaced her sword in its scabbard. "It will be morning soon and we need our rest."

* * *

 **The four travelers** had an uneasy night after their fight with the forces of darkness. Astro took it upon himself to keep guard during the night, as he patrolled the hallway by rooms where Pinoko, Kurō, and Sapphire slept. He kept his eye searchlights glowing brightly to keep the demons away as he now believed in their existence and the danger that they presented. Finally the first glow of the morning sun appeared in the horizon, as the pitch black of the sky gave way to a lighter violet.

Even before the first bits of the sun's orb rose above the edge of the world, the monks had risen from their night's slumber to prepare for the new day. They mediated in prayer for an hour before marching single file into the dining room for their breakfast. The sound of their sandaled feet upon the rough hewn lumber floor woke the three humans from their troubled sleep, and the smell of of the freshly baked brown bread completed the task. Pinoko was the first to exit her bed to find the way to the long table of the dining room, and she was quickly joined by Kurō and Sapphire.

They found empty places near the head of the table for themselves as the old priest with the large nose greeted them in silence. Well worn cups of strong black tea were set in front of them, along with bowls of a thick barley and rice porridge, and thin slices of brown bread. Pinoko saw Kurō and moved her seat closer to his. "Sensei!" she smiled.

"I think I know you," Kurō replied. "We were separated weren't we?"

"Yes, we were traveling together," the young girl agreed.

The assembled group ate their meal in silence, and then the monks shuffled out of the dining hall, again in single file, to make their way to the temple's sanctuary for their mornings prayers. Pinoko followed them, and then stood in the back of the sanctuary looking around.

The monks sat on their prayer rugs in a prone position facing the front of the room. There upon a raised platform sat a large golden figure of the Buddha. Siddharthā Gautama Shakyamuni's figure rested upon a locked stone chest. The golden deity had an almost blank expression on his face that seemed to offer neither guidance nor criticism upon his disciples. One either side of the rotund figure were smaller golden statues depicting some of the gods of the Hindu faith.

Kurō, Sapphire, and Astro found their way to the sanctuary and looked around. The old priest came up to them and nodded, "You are welcome to come in and pray with us if you like," he said.

Pinoko stared at the golden image of the Buddha, her eyes wide open in amazement.

"That statue of the Buddha has been in our possession for many generations," he explained. "It is said that Siddharthā himself posed for the original artist that created our statue, that it is an original likeness of the actual Buddha himself and not a rendition of someone's interpretation of his appearance."

"That would make it quite valuable," Kurō said.

"To an outsider, perhaps." The priest replied. "It is valuable to us in a spiritual sense, but not as a material object. We pray to the Buddha in our hearts, not to a golden idol in his image. The statue simply helps us focus on him, though the image does comfort us."

"I think I understand," Sapphire replied.

"Still, there are those that would desire to take our simple possessions from us," the priest sighed. "Kiriko has been raiding monasteries all over the countryside, stealing every religious symbol and prayer book that he can lay his hands on."

"What an evil man!" Pinoko cried, "Why would he do such a thing?"

"Kiriko believes that the source of his power lies in his worship of the demons and devils," The priest replied. "He wants to destroy all worship of the gods of light so he may gain favor from the lord of darkness. That is why he is on a quest to destroy sanctuaries such as ours."

Sapphire's right hand fondled the hilt of her Katana, "I will pledge my life and honor to protect this temple from Kiriko's evil," she said, "I will live to see his death!"

Kurō bowed to the priest, "I will also pledge my sacred honor to your protection!" he replied.

Astro unsheathed his sword and held the blade upwards "I too will protect the sacred Buddha from the forces of darkness!"

Sapphire drew her sword and held it high, as Kurō also drew both of his Katana from their scabbards. The four blades were brought together, and as their tips momentarily touched, the four highly polished steel weapons glowed with an eerie blue glare.

 **The old priest** bowed in respect to his four self declared protectors. "Sapphire-San," he said, "Kiriko was recently here searching for you, do you consider it wise to stand up against him?"

"I am no longer alone!" she replied, smiling at the others.

"If Kiriko wants to hurt Sapphire, he will have to go through ME!" Astro replied, placing his arm around Sapphire's waist.

"Very well," the priest replied. "So far Kiriko and his demon horde of Samurai have not stormed this temple, perhaps because he was more obsessed with recapturing Sapphire-San," the priest suggested. "But he will be back, I've received word from a monastery to the east of us that his men were there a few days ago. They killed several of the monks and stole many of their relics. We may very well be next."

Kurō reflected on the matter and replied, "We need to make this temple more defensible. We should ring the buildings with pits in which we can hide ourselves, the element of surprise may be our best hope of defense."

* * *

 **The Demon Temple** looked almost tame in the bright sunlight of the morning after the previous night's rain had abated. The heavy equipment had arrived and the roadway had been cleared of the debris left by the storm. A tow truck had arrived and it now had the broken down bus attached, ready to haul it back to the city. The driver was still being questioned by the police who didn't quite believe his story about the disappearance of his passengers. While he argued with the local law enforcement officers a small automobile carrying two passengers came around the bend in the road and stopped behind the bus which was now ready to be towed back to the garage for repairs.

A young woman in her late twenties got out of the drivers seat, followed by a boy in his late teens. A robotic ostrich jumped out of the rear seat of the vehicle and followed its master as the woman approached the bus driver who was glad to see her.

"You must be Yuko-San," he said.

"Yes, I am," she replied.

"You'll excuse me," the driver told the two policemen, "I have other business to attend to and it seems that I've already told you everything that you care to know!"

The two cops shrugged their shoulders, put away their computer tablets, and marched back to their squad car. The bus driver waited until they police car was out of sight down the road before he continued.

"I found this on the bus, so I thought I should call the Ministry right away," he said, handing Yuko a man's wallet.

"This must have fallen out of Dr. O'Shay's pocket somehow," Reno said.

"Yes, well we now know that he and Astro were on this bus during the night," she agreed.

"We broke down during the storm last night," the bus driver explained. "I had to stop quickly when a tree was struck by lightning and fell in our path. The passengers were jolted out of their seats by the sudden stop, perhaps that's when your friend lost his wallet. We took refuge from the storm in the temple just a hundred meters or so up this path."

The driver pointed to a trail leading uphill from the roadway. He led the way, with Yuko, Reno, and Momo following. They entered the demon chamber and the driver held out his arms to block the way. He shined a bright electric torch into the room to reveal the evil looking stone idols.

"You can see the footprints of the six passengers in the heavy dust on the floor," the bus driver explained. "While they were out exploring, I was searching for food and drink. I heard a scream and I came running into this chamber, but I found no one here. The footprints lead in, but none lead out. Look at the patterns on the floor in the dust!"

"Yes, I see it," Yuko replied. "You can see where six bodies were lying on the ground. We must examine the area if we are to know what happened to them."

Yuko motioned to Reno and Momo. The robot bird that looked like a cross between an Ostrich and a Flamingo followed her with Reno close behind. They stopped in front of the impressions in the dust and Yuko opened a panel on Momo's back. The robot bird contained numerous sensors which activated, the bird's head scanned the ground, its eyes glowing. Reno reached into his back pocket and extracted a small computer device which he flipped open. The multipurpose instrument resembled a Star-Trek Tricorder. While Momo scanned the dust on the floor, Reno took readings from around the room.

"What are you looking for?" the bus driver asked.

"Answers." Yuko simply said.

"I'm picking up traces of kronotron particles." Reno said.

"Momo is also reading traces of them in the dust," Yuko agreed.

"What does that mean?" the bus driver asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Reno replied. "But it does seem as if something in this chamber, perhaps as a result of the lightning storm last night, has opened up a temporal portal through which your passengers were sucked into."

"Can you explain that in layman's terms?" the driver asked.

"Time travel." Yuko replied.


	5. Chapter 5

**Samurai**

 _ **Five**_

 **Reno** paced back and forth in the great laboratory of the Ministry of Science. It was in this huge expanse that some of the greatest advances in science had been made, this was the laboratory with almost every piece of equipment imaginable. Huge overhead cranes could quickly move the heaviest machinery about. The main plumbing from the Metro City power plant was piped into the lab, millions of volts at millions of amperes were available to power the largest equipment that could be built. It was in this very room that Astro had been first powered up by Dr. Tenma, and it was here where Uran had been assembled by Dr. O'Shay.

All of the readings that Reno and Yuko had been able to make inside of the temple had been fed into the memory banks of the Ministry's most power computer, and the giant electronic brain was now analyzing the data. Reno knew that before he would be able to figure out a way of retrieving Dr. O'Shay and Astro, along with the other four passengers on the bus from the past, he'd first have to figure out exactly where and when they had been transported to.

The computer was now comparing the orientation of the kronotron particles that had been discovered in the dust on the temple floor. Their magnetic alignment, plus the readings of the temporal field that his Tricorder like device had picked up might hold the key to figuring out where the time portal had opened to.

Sitting on a workbench attached to one of the computers was Dr. Tempo's original time gun. The mad scientist had once used that device to send Dr. O'Shay and Astro back to the middle ages. Fortunately, the wacky scientist had transported not only the doctor and his buddy back in time, but the contents of most of the laboratory as well. Dr. O'Shay had been able to construct his own time gun to return back to the 21st century. With the data on the device's construction in the computer's memory banks, Reno hoped he'd be able to find his missing friends. The computation was however taking seemingly forever to complete.

* * *

 **Kiriko** stood behind the parapet looking down from the top of his fortification at the the mounted horsemen assembled below. His army consisted of the best swordsmen in all of Japan, yet he still didn't feel powerful enough. His second in command grunted to get his attention, Kiriko turned towards the general and studied him for a moment.

"Have your spies found her yet?" he asked

"Indeed they have," the dark skinned Mongol said with a smile that revealed his yellow teeth. "As you suspected she was hiding out in the monastery."

"I was going to deal with the priest at that temple eventuality," Kiriko laughed, "now it will be our next target."

"My spies report that there are several Samurai guarding the grounds of the temple," the general replied.

"Several Samurai will not pose a threat to my army," Kiriko guffawed.

"What are your plans for the princess, my lord." the Mongol asked.

"I've lost interest in her," Kiriko said. "If you find her amusing you may do as you wish with her."

"Arigatō." the general smiled, "I will enjoy that very much!"

"Very well then, dismiss your troops and have them prepare for battle," Kiriko said, "We will attack tonight after the moon rises."

"Attack at night?" the General questioned, "Is that wise?"

"It will give us he element of surprise, plus we will have the demon army at our side," Kiriko said.

* * *

 **Astro,** Kurō, and Sapphire took turns at watch, patrolling the grounds of the monastery on lookout for any sign of an approaching army. Several of the monks stood watch as well, they communicated among each other by imitating bird calls. The old priest brought drink and bread to each of the four visitors while they were on duty.

"I don't think they will attack us until after the moon rises," the priest told Astro. "Word from the other monasteries is that Kiriko has joined forces with a horde of Demons which will only come out after dark."

"That would give them the advantage of surprise," Astro agreed.

"Perhaps you should rest until dark then," the old man suggested, "it may be a long night."

"I don't need sleep," Astro replied, "I'm a robot."

"I do not know what that is," the priest said, "but I can sense that you are different from the others."

The old man patted Astro on the back, and walked back towards the temple. When he was alone Astro lifted his armor and opened his chest panel to check on how his energy supply was doing. "I'm about half full," he sighed.

* * *

 **Yuko** entered the laboratory followed by her robot bird Momo. "Were you able to find them?" she asked.

"The computer wasn't able to pin point the exact location in time where they were transported," Reno sighed. "I was able to modify Tempo's time gun so that it can return everyone from the past to the present. The only problem is that the gun will have to be fired in the past."

"Meaning that the time gun must be sent backwards in time." Yuko replied.

"Exactly." Reno answered. "It will be necessary to return to the demon temple and re-create the conditions that opened the portal in time in the first place. There is one major problem however,"

"What is that?" Yuko asked.

"My analysis of the kronotron particles suggests that the transport vector will only work on self aware matter." Reno replied. "I can't send the time gun back by itself. It would have to be in the possession of a sentient being to be transported back in time."

"So a human or a robot must take it there," Yuko said. "You could use Momo."

"No, that wouldn't work. Momo doesn't possess Kokoro." Reno replied. "There are only three or four choices available to us."

"Who are they?" Yuko asked.

"Cobalt, Uran, Atlas, or myself." Reno replied.

"I could do it," Yuko added.

"Yes you could," Reno replied, "but I'm the best qualified for the job."

"It might be dangerous." Yuko said. "The contents of the demon temple suggest that they were sent back to Japan's feudal period."

"I know that." Reno said. "It's a good thing I have my Ironman suit!"

* * *

 **The full moon** rose blood red above the horizon as the Earth's shadow fell across its face. The monks lay prostate on the floor of the temple in prayer, as the priest recited verse after verse from his prayer scroll. Astro could see the fear in his eyes, and on the faces of the monks.

"Why are you all in the temple hiding?" Astro asked, "we should all be on our guard, waiting for Kiriko's army."

"It is no use," The priest cried out in fear, "His army of demon's has cast an omen of great power, just as the face of the moon has been bloodied, so will our blood be spilled!"

Astro pointed at the Lunar orb, now fully risen above the rim of the Earth. "That is not an omen!" he yelled. "It is only an eclipse of the moon! It is not blood you see, only the shadow of the Earth falling on its natural satellite!"

"It is not the work of the devil?" the priest asked.

"Not at all!" Astro reassured him, "It is a natural phenomenon which is visible somewhere on the Earth at least twice every year, though a really dark red total eclipse like this one might only be seen once every score of years."

* * *

 **Kiriko smiled** as he saw the blood moon rise. "Satan has given us his blessings for our attack!" he told his general. "Tell your men to sharpen their swords, our demon allies will not forsake us tonight!"

The Mongol leader looked up at the sky and shivered. "You may consider the red mood a good omen, but it will raise fear in my men. The blood moon is a sign of death and destruction," he said.

"That is true," Kiriko laughed, "But tonight it will not be our blood that is spilled! I will destroy the monastery and capture the sacred relics for my own purposes. After that, nothing will stand in my way of becoming Shogun of this entire island!"

* * *

 **Dusk** was fast approaching as Reno inspected the roof of the demon temple. The boy realized that the ancient building had been build with much lost knowledge. Yuko called up to him from the path below, "have you discovered anything?"

"Yes!" Reno yelled down. "The roof is ringed with metal spikes set into glass tiles," he said pointing to one of the dark green spears that pointed towards the sky. "They are made of pure copper, and they are all connected to a heavy braided metal rope that leads into the demon chamber."

Reno climbed down the ladder they had brought with them and entered the building. Yuko followed him into the demon room where the stone idols lined the walls. He pointed to a heavy green rope that came though a hole in the ceiling. "This rope is made from many strands of pure copper woven together," he said. "It connects with all of the metal spears on the roof."

"Lightning rods?" Yuko asked.

"Exactly!" the boy nodded, pointing to the stranded copper cable and following its path towards a bronze statue holding a large 'Y' shaped crystal in one of its hands. "See how this demon idol is holding hands with the one next to it. All of the statues with gems in their faces are connected together, and they all connect to this one that is wired up to the lightning rods."

"Interesting!" Yuko agreed, "But how were Astro, Hakase, and the others transported back in time?"

"I think the gems in each of the demon's faces act as amplifier crystals and focus the temporal field generated in the crystal like device in the bronze statue's hand," Reno explained. "That device in its hand is the key to this machine, I'm sure that it's actually a flux capacitor!"

"Then it would take a direct hit by a bolt of lightning to power it," Yuko said, "And the forecast calls for clear skies for the next few nights."

"That's why I brought the equipment in that large truck along with us," Reno explained. "With those four huge Van de Graaff generators, and the giant Tesla coil, we will produce our own lighting!"

* * *

 **Kiriko** mounted his horse and drew his Katana from its sheath. He held the blade high over his head, and it caught the blood red light of the moon. "We march!" he yelled. A mist rose up from the nearby rise fields and drifted over towards the small army on horseback. Slowly the damp clouds took form as another army, this one of demonic figures marched side by side with Kiriko's Samurai.

"We shall be invincible!" Kiriko laughed out loud as he took the point and led his armies toward the monastery.

 **Several** dozen monks armed with wooden staffs stood inside the stone walls that ringed the grounds of the monastery. The Priest recited several prayers, and blessed the swords that his defenders carried. Kurō, and Sapphire sat upon their steeds, their own swords hanging at the ready in their scabbards. Astro patrolled the grounds on foot. He once again tried to take to the air but found that his jets would still not function. He used his eye's searchlights to cut though the dark mist that started to roll in over the ground, the dark blood red light of the eclipsed moon providing little illumination.

The demon horde approached the temple grounds first. Astro's powerful long distance vision altered him as the leading edge of the vanguard crept towards the defenders, and he sounded the warning. Sapphire and Kurō charged towards the demons with their swords drawn. The stallions they rode on were swift, and they quickly broke up the initial attack by charging in and out of the ranks of the underworld creatures, cutting many of them down with their swords. While he couldn't fly, Astro was faster on his feet than the horses, and he could leap high above the invading demons swinging his Katana to chop them up as he landed.

The defenders regrouped and kept their vigil. They still didn't know from where Kiriko's Samurai army would attack them from, it was quite possible that he'd ordered his men to surround the temple and advance from several sides.

* * *

 **Reno** placed the helmet of his Ironman suit on his head, and with a twist locked it in place. He nodded to Yuko who stood near the Frankenstein like electrical apparatus.

"Are you quite sure about this?" she asked.

"There isn't any other way," Reno replied, as he inspected the contents of the backpack one last time and slipped it over his shoulder. He slowly walked into the old temple and made his way into the demon chamber. Reno stood in the middle of the dusty impressions left in the floor by the six passengers of the bus. He looked around at the evil grins on the faces of the demon statues and shivered for a moment. "OK Yuko, I'm in position now," he radioed.

Yuko activated the main power switch, and the Van de Graaff generators started spinning. She could hear the static electric charge being built up, and could feel the hairs on her body becoming electrified by the ionized air the machines began to produce. When the meters read a potential of one million volts she activated the Tesla coil and a steady electrical discharge flashed between the two spun metal balls attached to the device.

"It's running now," Yuko radioed back.

"OK," Reno replied, "Do it!"

Yuko reached for the final switch. The connection between the Tesla coil's secondary winding and the cable running up to the roof of the temple was completed. The condensers of the Leydon jars released their accumulated coulombs into the cable.  
Reno looked up at the bronze statue holding the 'Y' shaped crystal. It started to glow brighter and brighter. The air within the temple resonated with an increasingly louder and louder high pitched squeal as the gemstones in the eyes of the statues began to glow brighter and brighter. Suddenly the room was ablaze with light that began to overpower the darkened face shield of his helmet.

A feeling of vertigo began to overcome Reno as he felt himself falling as if the ground had opened up beneath his feet. He was in a tunnel, sliding downward faster and faster. "I'm in some sort of wormhole," he radioed back to Yuko, not knowing if she was still able to hear him. Then the bottom of the tunnel opened up and he was in free fall with the ground coming up quickly. The repulsers of his suit came on and slowed his descent. He landed with a soft thud as the swirling light around him vanished.


	6. Chapter 6

**Samurai**

 _ **Six**_

 **Kiriko** led the charge as his Samurai army charged towards the temple. The monks formed a group to block the horsemen, wielding their wooden clubs as deftly as if they were Katana. Swift on their feet, the hooded holy men managed to knock a few of the Samurai off of their horses and then club them senseless with their staffs. Kurō and Sapphire repelled part of the attacking force, while Astro was busy cutting down those Samurai on foot before they could do likewise to any of the monks.

Before the defenders could catch their breath the army had regrouped and made a second charge. This time the small band was outflanked and they found themselves encircled by the invading army. As the Samurai drew the circle tighter, Kiriko marched forward towards the group. He gave Sapphire an evil smile and laughed. "Who is the leader here?" he demanded.

In a mass Kurō, Sapphire and Astro took a step towards the warlord as the Priest pushed his way into the middle of the circle.

"I am the leader here," he replied.

"You are a fool, old man!" Kiriko laughed. "Perhaps I shall cut you down first as an example before I make dog food out of the monks and these thorns in my side!", he added pointing towards the three defenders.

Kiriko raised his Katana and charged at the priest. Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light and a whirlpool of wind, as the warlord was blasted out of his saddle. He rolled like a bowling ball into ten of his Samurai army, knocking them over like tenpins. Standing where Kiriko and his steed had just been a second ago, a figure in reflective red and yellow armor stood. His face was hidden behind a mask, his eyes invisible behind a dark visor. The stranger held out his right hand and his palm emitted a blazing blast of light which struck the Samurai army and blew them many tens of yards backwards.

"Leave this place!" the strange warrior yelled.

Kiriko's Samurai got up and trembled in fear at the sight of the glowing armor of the phantom that had suddenly apparated onto the battlefield from out of nowhere. They began to retreat, and Kiriko started to follow when the armored figure bellowed out, "NOT YOU! You shall remain here!"

Kiriko ignored the command, and was struck with another blast from the figure's palm.  
"Into the temple!", ordered the red and yellow knight. Sapphire pricked the warlord in the back of his neck with the tip of her sword, "GO!" she ordered.

Kiriko crawled to his feet and trodded towards the monastery with Sapphire's Katana pressed against the back of his neck for encouragement.

* * *

 **Kiriko** sat in one of the pews of the temple sanctuary. He was flanked on one side by Sapphire, and on the other side by Astro. Sitting next to the boy robot were Black Jack and Pinoko. The armored figure stood in front of the six of them, and slowly removed his helmet.

Astro's face lit up when he saw the face of the metal Samurai that had appeared in the middle of the battle. "Reno!" he cried, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yes it's me," Astro's buddy smiled.

Reno walked towards the old priest and asked, "Dr. O'Shay, you do know who I am, don't you?"

"I'm afraid not son," he replied, "Should I? And why do you call me by that name?"

"I think I'm the only one of us who didn't lose his memory," Astro told Reno. "I thought that was because I'm a robot, but you seem to have come here with your memory intact."

"Perhaps that's because when I'm wearing this Ironman suit, I am like a robot." Reno replied.

"But now you're stuck back here in the past with all of us," Astro sighed.

"Maybe not." Reno said, as he extracted a strange looking rifle from his backpack. "I brought this with me."

"What is that?" Astro asked.

"I thought you might have remembered this," Reno told him, "It's Dr. Tempo's time gun."

"Yes, I do remember that!" Astro replied.

"I've realigned it to return us back to the 21st century," Reno said, "I hope that it will also restore everyone's memories as well."

"But who will use it on you?" Astro asked.

"I think I can do a selfie with this," Reno said, "At least I know I can hold the gun correctly for that, I've already tried it."

A group of the monks entered the temple and approached the old priest. The old man had been staring at Reno and Astro, and he seemed to recall something. "I think I'm going to be leaving you," he told the hooded holy men. "You will need to elect a new priest from among your ranks."

The monks nodded and left the sanctuary in a single file. "I think maybe I should be first," the priest told Reno.

The boy nodded and switched the time gun on. He pointed it at the Priest and pulled the trigger. Dr. O'Shay felt himself whirling about as he fell though an opening in the space-time continuum He was falling though some kind of a tunnel trapped between two planes of existence.

* * *

 **Yuko** shut off the equipment and grabbed a powerful flashlight. She entered the temple and made her way towards the demon room. She could see Reno's footprints in the dust, and recognized the distinctive outline left by the boots of the Ironman suit.

Suddenly a ball of light appeared in the middle of the room, not far from where Reno had been when he fell though the wormhole opened by the statue's crystals. Yuko shielded her eyes from the glare which grew brighter, and then slowly faded. Sitting on the floor in the dust, Dr. O'Shay looked up and set eyes on the young woman.

"Yuko," he managed to get out of his mouth, "Am I back?"

* * *

 **Reno** next pointed the time gun at Kurō and Pinoko. "I'm going to send the two of you back next," he said. The beam from the rifle enveloped the doctor and his young assistant and they slowly vanished from sight. Kiriko's eyes widened as a panic fell over the warlord. "What is this trickery?" he demanded. "You are a sorcerer!"

Reno tried to calm the white haired individual. "Once I send you back to where you belong you should remember who you really are, Kiriko" the boy said. "I know you don't understand right now, but you are really a kind and compassionate physician."

Kiriko pushed at Reno and tried to run away, but the beam of the time gun hit him and he froze in mid stride and then disappeared down the wormhole that the gun had opened up.

* * *

 **Once** again a glowing ball of light filled the middle of the demon room. Yuko and Dr. O'Shay stood next to each other as three individuals materialized out of the glow. First to become solid were Dr. Black Jack and Pinoko.

"Sensei! Where are we?" Pinoko asked.

"I think we are in the temple with all of those demonic statues," the doctor told his young companion.

Kiriko's form stopped glowing and he looked around him.

"Kiriko?" Black Jack asked, "Do you remember anything?"

"Not very much," the death doctor said. "However it seems that we have brought some souvenirs of our trip back with us," he said pointing to the scabbard of the Katana that he still wore around his waist, and the two that were hanging on Kurō's.

Before anyone could say another thing the darkness of the temple was once again assaulted by two glowing figures. Astro and Sapphire stood together, holding hands. Each of them still wore the armor that they had worn for the past few days, including the the ancient swords hanging from their waists.

"Thank you for your chivalry Astro," Sapphire said as she bent down to face the boy robot. Their lips met in a tender embrace for a few moments, and after Sapphire stood back up Astro's face had turned as red as a beet.

For a final time the room glowed brightly as Reno emerged from the glow. He was still holding the time gun with the barrel aimed at his midsection, and the index finger of his right hand on the trigger.

"I guess it worked!" He smiled.

 **Suddenly** the eyes of the demon statues began to glow and the air within the temple became itchy with electricity. From outside they could hear the sound of thunder.

"Let's get out of here!" Pinoko yelled.

Eight figures ran quickly from the temple and found themselves being pelted by a light rain laced with hail. "It wasn't forecast to rain today, that's why we brought the generating equipment," Yuko cried out, "What is going on here?"

"I think we may have made the demon gods mad!", Dr. O'Shay answered, "They don't seem happy about our finding our way back from their past!"

Bolts of lighting flew from the sky and out of the building striking the ground all about the fleeing group. Reno and Yuko climbed into the cab of the truck while Kurō opened the back of the vehicle and waved for the others to quickly climb in. He pulled the rear door down as Yuko threw the transmission into gear and floored the accelerator. Reno watched in the rear view mirror as a lightning bolt hit the roof of the temple which started to glow an eerie green color. As the light surrounding the temple faded, the building disappeared leaving just an empty place between a stand of trees.

* * *

 **It had** been nearly a year and a half since they had taken that unscheduled short cut though the dark forest on the bus. They'd been back to where the temple had once stood, but found no sign of it. None of the local population would admit to knowing anything about the demon temple, even the bus driver who'd been with them could not remember anything since that day. Reno had tried to recover proof of their journey by analyzing the time gun, but the device held no trace imprints in its circuitry of where they had been. Even the data collection memory of his Ironman suit held no clue, the storage had been wiped clean upon his return. All he could say for sure was that he and the others had been transported trough space-time, but exactly where or when was a vague mystery.

 **Dr. O'Shay** removed his pith helmet just long enough to wipe the sweat from the top of his balding head. Ahead of him, Astro and Reno were busy working the excavation. Archeology was a hobby of the professor, though he rarely got the time to work at a dig, nor was he as fit as he used to be. He was certainly glad to have Reno and Astro's help.

The site had been discovered while the Tokugawa construction company had been clearing the grounds to lay the foundation for a new office tower in the middle of Tokyo. With Japan's long and ancient history going back several millennium, it wasn't uncommon for the ruins of something historically significant to be found whenever ground was dug up in a place that hadn't been disturbed for nearly a century.

Reno carefully dusted the ground away using a short handled broom to reveal the outline of a large stone chest. Engraved in the marble lid of the vessel was some writing in an ancient variety of Kanji that the boy was unable to decipher. Astro quickly scanned the writing and his electronic brain searched his vast linguistic database, but even he came up mostly empty.

"The writing seems to indicate that this place may have been a sanctuary to honor heroes who saved a village from an invading army," Astro guessed.

"There are probably more clues inside of this stone chest," Reno said, "But it's going to take me all day to get it dug out."

"Let me take care of that," Astro said, motioning for Reno and the professor to stand back.

Astro folded his hands back into his arms to expose the exhaust nozzles of his arm jets, which he used to rapidly blow away the tons of dirt surrounding the buried chest. Once the marble vault was freed from the surrounding earth, he shut down his arm jets and lifted the heavy object out of the hole that he'd just dug out, and placed it on the ground between Reno and Dr. O'Shay.

Astro slowly lifted the lid and placed it next to the now open stone box. Reno reached inside and slowly removed a large wooden plaque. The large dark hardwood tablet had been engraved with carvings which were then covered with gold leaf. Embossed in the surface of the plaque was an image depicting a battle between a group of monks defending their monastery from an invading horde of Samurai.

"Look Hakase!" Astro cried out in awe, pointing towards the image on the monument. Standing next to the temple, dressed in the robes of a Buddhist Priest, was an old gentleman with a large nose, and a balding head.

Standing on an outcropping of rock was a small Warrior dressed in the armor of a Samurai. He was holding a long Katana in his right hand, while standing his ground. His red cape billowed in the wind behind him. The most distinctive feature of the determined young hero was the outline of his two pointed cowlicks at the back of his head.

In the background of the bas relief sculpture was another defender looking like some sort of demonic creature. His eyes were hidden behind a dark shield set inside of a metal helmet, his full body armor emitted lightning bolts from his palms that cut down the advancing horde of horsemen.

"So it wasn't a dream," Dr. O'Shay muttered.

"What are we going to do with this find, Hakase?" Reno asked.

"I think this plaque will be hidden in the Ministry's vault for some time," the professor sighed. "No one would believe the story anyway, and they would accuse me of fakery if I were to announce this find. No, it will remain our little secret, though perhaps we will show it to a few others," he smiled as he pointed to yet another detail on the mural.

Off to the side, a female warrior was dueling sword to sword with a warlord. He had a patch over one eye, and his long hair was pure white. Behind him another armored Samurai had quickly dispatched a half dozen of his enemy by throwing a fist full of small razor shape knives. This hero had a long scar on his face, and his hair was both dark and white in color. A small child with four bows in her hair waited for him just a few yards away.

 _The End_


End file.
